The other day my friend Kyle and I were talking. Because he’s one of my best friends, we started talking about our life and what we’re hoping to see change in the next few years and what we could do to help improve ourselves and achieve these goals.
As we were talking, Kyle told me something that has stuck with me. He said, “sometimes man, I think that you get in this weird self-deprecating mood, and it holds you back from doing what you could achieve. You have a lot more potential than you give yourself credit for.” As we kept talking, I started to realize that I am haunted by a ghost. This ghost looks eerily like me. This ghost talks to me about my failures. This ghost tells me what I’m not, and what I’ll stay to be. This ghost is at least a foot shorter than me. This ghost is fat. This ghost has a really long hair. This ghost? My past self. And this ghost has to die.
In order to move forward, we have to let go of the “you” that is the past. Truth is, that’s probably not you anymore. Anytime that you begin to say that you can’t do something, or telling you that you are not good enough, in the words of my friend Kyle: “just remember, if you have a fat 13-year-old who has a bad haircut telling you that you’re worthless, remind him that he’s stupid, and that Fall Out Boy isn’t the epitome of music (no disrespect).” (Let’s be real, old school FOB is still the jam.)
I have decided that I’m killing my ghost. To commemorate this, I’d like to share that here at Penn N Paper, we’re currently working on sketch comedy videos, upping our photography game, and videography skills. I’ve been putting this off because “I don’t know if it’s good enough”. As I write this, I’m finally punching my 13-year-old-insecure ghost, and telling him to stuff it like a calzone.
Maybe if after reading this, you’re realizing you want to kill some ghosts, too. I would LOVE to hear what ghost you’re killing. Comment below or share this blog with the ghost you’re killing!